A Rose's Memory (KakaRin Kakashi Hatake Fanfiction)
by MemoryInTime
Summary: What if Obito had actually died and Rin hadn't? Things would have been very different. KakaRin, Kakashi ANBU, Kakashi and Rin from childhood and current all in this story.
1. Prologue

Rin was lost, quite literally. She knew that she should have let her mother lead the way to the academy but as usual, Rin was stubborn.

"I can find my way by myself!" She remembered herself saying as she slipped on her shoes. Ignoring her mothers protests she had quickly ran out the door bursting with excitement.

Now, that excitement was no where to be found, fear replacing it as she wandered around on the empty streets of Konoha. Where had she gone wrong? She could have sworn that this was the way to the academy, after all she knew Konoha well. Yet here she was, tears starting to make there way out of her eyes as she circled around the same place for the fifth time in the last thirty minutes. She not only feared that she was lost but she also feared that she would be late. _Kids on there first day in the academy that are late don't get acceptance forms and kids who don't get the acceptance forms can't be accepted in._

Rin let out a wail as she came to a stop and sat down on the grass next to a statue of a big wolf. She pressed her back against the statue, closing her eyes before letting another sob slip through her lips. She buried her face in her hands, sniffling once before another sob shook her body. If she couldn't go to the academy, she couldn't be a ninja. If she couldn't be a ninja then all her dreams would be crushed.

"What are you doing here?" Rin froze as an unfamiliar voice came from above her. She slowly looked up to see the source of the voice, a young boy about her age with silver hair and a green patterned scarf around his neck. She also noticed that the bottom half of his face was masked. Steely grey eyes met her hazel ones as he held out a hand. The five year old took it, standing up. She brushed off her skirt, rubbing her teary eyes in embarrassment.

"Why are you crying?" the silver-haired boy asked, hands shoved in his pockets. He looked at her with indifferent eyes, leaning his weight to one side as he waited for an answer.

"I-I'm not crying!" She protested, doing her best to brush away any stray tears that were left on her face. She wiped her face with her sleeve, not caring if some of her purple facial paint rubbed off. She stopped sniffling, arms crossed. She noticed that the boy was taller then her and tried to stand on her tip toes with out him noticing so that they would be the same height.

"Liar," The silver-haired boy looked at her appearance, "I could hear you bawling all the way from my house." He pointed towards the large building in the distance. Rin's eyes widened at the size of it, it was twice as big as her house!

"Why are you crying?" The boy repeated impatiently once more.

"I got lost on my way to the academy," she explained, embarrassed that she was telling a mere stranger about her situation, "I'll be late if I can't find my way soon and if I'm late then I won't get the acceptance forms! If I don't get the forms then I can't be a ninja!"

The boys bored facial expression never changed much to Rins frustration. He simply stared at her with his stormy grey eyes before removing his hands out of his pockets. To her surprise he started _laughing_.

"What's so funny?!" Rin demanded, hands in fists. How dare he laugh at her?! This was a serious situation, didn't he understand that? Or was he so stupid that he couldn't see how important this was to her?

"You're getting all worked up over _that_?" he asked in disbelief. His tone made her feel stupid, making the five year old cry once more. The grey eyed boys laughter died down as Rins sobs replaced it. Seeming to realize his mistake, he pat her on the back awkwardly, not knowing what would comfort the brown haired girl.

"Why don't I show you the way? I'm going there anyway," he reassured. Instantly Rin became quiet, big hopeful hazel eyes meeting his. She clung onto his arms in desperation.

"Really?" she asked, hoping that he would not burst out laughing again. Instead of laughing in her face the boy smiled. Rin let out a squeal of joy, hugging onto the stranger.

"Thank you, Thank you!" She said over and over again. She wouldn't be late, she could be a ninja after all! The boy awkwardly pushed her away gently, not knowing how to respond to the young girl who had lept into his arms. Rin simply smiled up at him, joy radiating off of her in waves. She gripped his hand, grinning. The silver haired boy seemed startled for a second before he smiled back at the cheerful girl.

"Thanks again-" Rin stopped, thinking back to see if he had mentioned his name. As if he knew what she was thinking he replied.

"Kakashi," he told her, "My name is Kakashi."


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One-Brooding

I do not own Naruto.

Kakashi walked on to the busy streets of Konoha, hands shoved in his pockets as usual. He didn't bother to look around knowing what he would find. Villagers going about their daily life, kids running around and several shinobi buying groceries. Instead, his gaze remained glued to the ground even when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. It was like this every time, Gai would call over to him asking if he wanted to hang out with his group and Kakashi would oh so politely decline by ignoring him. Even in the loud village he could still hear the sound of heavy panting and feet thundering on the ground from behind him. There was no doubt in his mind that the person who lingered behind him was Gai. The suspicion was confirmed when a hand grabbed his shoulder stopping him from taking another step forward.

"My Eternal Rival!" Gai started, a silly grin on his face that made Kakashi want to roll his eyes," I was afraid that you couldn't hear my calls!"

"I heard you just fine," Kakashi muttered, roughly shaking Gai's hand off his shoulder. Gai began to pout though Kakashi averted his gaze to avoid feeling guilty. It wasn't like he was avoiding Gai and his friends because he disliked them, he still had a heart after all. Even if that heart was lonely, cold and quite numb. A part of him yearned to be happy and to enjoy life but the other knew the true reality. Life held no happy endings. That was a lesson that he had learned a while ago, first when his father took his own life and once again when Obito had passed away.

"Ever since you joined the ANBU you've been awfully cold," Gai fumed, "We haven't had a rival challenge in what seems like years!"

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?" Kakashi asked once Gai was done talking. The prodigy crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes as the boy in the green jump suit shook his head. What possibly could he want from him if not an apology for his cold behavior?

"I just want you to hang out with us for once!" Gai begged surprising Kakashi. Even after how he treated him, he still wanted to hang out with him? He was even more surprised when the older boy fell onto his knees and grabbed onto his leg tightly, "Please?"

"Gai, we're in public. Let go," Kakashi hissed, attempting to get the green clothed boy off his leg as people began to stare at the pair. He awkwardly tried to push the thick-browed boy off of him and sighed heavily as he began to realize that Gai would not let go any time soon.

"I'll let go if you come hang out with us! Your on break till your next mission right? I'm sure that you have a few moments to spare!" Gai pleaded loudly, rocking back and forth.

"Fine," Kakashi gave up, "Just for a minute-"

As soon as the words left his lips, Gai grabbed onto his arm and yanked him forward. Kakashi let out a grunt as his friend roughly started to drag him towards the tea shop. The way Gai began blurting out things excitedly caused him to smile slightly, a rare thing that most people never got to see. Gai took no notice though as he marched into the tea shop, Kakashi being dragged behind him.

"Look who decided to join us guys!" Gai exclaimed excitedly as he entered. Two pairs of eyes turned to greet them as Kakashi stumbled in after him.

"Kakashi?" Asuma asked in disbelief, blinking rapidly as if he thought that he was dreaming. Kurenai just grinned, offering a friendly wave. Kakashi gave them an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yo," He said timidly. He mentally smacked himself, where had this shyness come from? These were childhood friends that he was talking to after all! _Maybe it's because you've been ignoring them for over a year now._

"Kakashi! Long time no talk huh?" Kurenai started, gesturing over for him to sit next to her. He hesitated for a second before making his way over. Once he sat and Gai was sure that he would not bolt off, the green suited boy sat down across from him.

"Yeah," Kakashi agreed, crossing his legs under the table,"you guys haven't changed much."

It was the truth, they hadn't. Asuma still had a cigarette between his teeth, his hair still black and cut neatly although he had stubble and his brown eyes held more of a wiser edge then they had a few years back. Kurenai had certainly matured more, her black hair beginning to become wavy and her red eyes holding somewhat of a more mature gaze. By the way that Asuma looked at her there was no doubt in his mind that Asuma's crush on her hadn't changed either.

"You certainly look different" Kurenai pointed out. When Kakashi's eye flashed with uncertainty she quickly continued, "Although your good looks haven't changed one bit."

"Of course he's still got the looks-he's _my_ eternal rival after all!" Gai reached across the table to pat his rivals shoulder, his signature wide grin on his face.

"I'm surprised your still single," Kurenai wondered outloud, "Maybe if you took off that mask..."

Kakashi shook his head quickly, pulling up his mask a bit further as she stated her opinion. The whole point of the mask was to not draw attention, taking it off after years of keeping it on would certainly get the whole village talking.

"He's too busy to get a girlfriend," Asuma butted in, earning a grateful glance from Kakashi,"from what I've head your making quite the name for yourself, _Copy Ninja_."

"It's nothing really," Kakashi said quickly not wanting any further attention on himself though he was cut off.

"Oh yes, The Copy Ninja Kakashi of Konoha," Gai boasted on his behalf, puffing out his chest as if he were talking about himself," I've heard you've become quite an intimidating opponent."

"Not really-" Kakashi tried to speak again but was cut off once more.

"-Which is why our next rival challenge should be a one on one fight! I shall not let my rival one up me!" Gai said loudly, grinning once more. Kakashi sighed, leaning back.

"Maybe another time," Kakashi told him as two masked ANBU came into the shop. Already knowing that they were here to fetch him he stood up from his seat giving his friends an apologetic smile and wave before walking up towards the familiar masked men. As the ANBU spotted him they bowed their head slightly in respect before gesturing for him to follow them. When they were finally outside and in the busy streets of Konoha the shorter ANBU spoke.

"The Hokage requests your presence immediently. "

* * *

Rin raced through the loud streets of Konoha, her eyes briefly scanning her watch. She was late by at least half an hour! Doubt filled her as she spotted the tea shop. Had they waited for her or did they think that she was a no show and leave? She got her answer when she darted through the door panting heavily.

"Rin! Over here!" She heard Gai say and sure enough when she looked up she saw the green suited teen waving frantically over to her. She waved back smiling widely. So they had waited after all. She walked over, watching as Kurenai moved over to make room for her on the bench while Asuma blew a puff of some out of his mouth.

"Sorry I'm late guys," she apologized as she sat down. She let her breathing get steady before she continued, "I was just-"

"-visiting Obito, we know. You don't have to explain yourself to us Rin, we understand." Kurenai told her softly, knowing that saying_ his_ name was hard for her even after all these years. Rin stared at the table for a few moments, the name alone making her feel unsteady before she looked back up, her usual cheerful smile back on her face.

"You know me too well," she said softly, her smile faltering a little as the thought of her old friend pinned down by a giant boulder ran through her mind. There was blood, so much blood...

"So Rin," Asuma interrupted noticing that his long time friend was zoning out, "How's working at the hospital?"

"Huh?" Rin asked, blinking rapidly. She hadn't noticed that he had spoken till he tapped her shoulder.

"How's working at the hospital?" He repeated.

"Oh!" Rin's expression immediantly brightened much to the groups relief, "It's been good, I'm learning as much as I can. They say that in a few months I may be ready to work on the field!"

"You'd be working with the ANBU right?" Kurenai asked. Rin nodded though she could hear the hidden meaning behind the question. She means _Would you be working with Kakashi? _

"Yes," Rin replied, thoughts lingering on the silver-haired jonin. Lowering her voice she added, "How's Kakashi? Have you seen him around?"

Rin had heard many stories of the Copy Ninja's great and marvelous deeds over the past few years. Sometimes little kids who came into the hospital claimed that they wanted to be just like him when they grew up. She remembered the pride and astonishment when she had first heard the news about the great Copy Ninja Kakashi. Was this the same person they were talking about? She had always known in the back of her mind that he would become a great shinobi but she did not expect him to be so famous at such a young age. But there was no doubt that it was him-silver hair, grey eyes and tall- that was certainly the same Kakashi.

The last time that Rin had seen Kakashi in person was a few years back when he had first joined the ANBU. She was still worried to this day about his decision, she knew she wasn't the only one that had heard about their cold blooded nature. _If the mission requires it, leave your friend behind_- that was their motto, and it wasn't a very good one in Rin's opinion.

They hadn't spoken since then, both of them too busy with Rin always working in the hospital and Kakashi earning a name for himself in the shinobi world. That didn't mean that she didn't miss him though. She missed her best friend with all her heart, she missed their deep talks and times where she'd come over to his house and fall asleep in tears.

Every time she'd walk past the Hatake estate, the big statue of a wolf greeted her. She remembered the first time they had met, chuckling every time at their odd encounter.

There wasn't a day that went by where Rin didn't think about him. Was he safe? How was he doing?

"He was actually here a few minutes ago," Kurenai's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened as she processed what her friend had said.

"He's home?!" Rin asked in disbelief. Kakashi was almost never back in Konoha.

"Yeah, he's off till his next mission though he just left-" Gai didn't have time to finish before Rin scrambled to her feet, giving them a quick wave and a smile before racing out the door. After she was gone, Kurenai smiled to herself. That was the first time in three years that she had seen Rin look so excited and she had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two- Memories

I don't own Naruto

* * *

Kakashi was never one to express his feelings outwardly. To some he may have appeared cold, heartless and maybe even arrogant. Those close to him knew that was not the case, they could tell that he was hurting inside. The scars on his heart seemed endless at this point and to think that he was only nineteen and bore the burden of death on his shoulders was unfortunate.

Instead of letting others see his hurt he kept it locked inside, looking both ways before he even let his eyes water. He protected himself and had good intentions by pushing everyone away. Any one who got too close to him was as good as dead once they became too important to him.

He learned this lesson once more when Minato-sensei had died. He should have learned his lesson as soon as he lost Obito, he should have taken the hint from life and built his walls back up around his heart. He should have known that even Minato-sensei would leave him eventually.

Kakashi let out a breath, closing his eyes as he stood in front of a familiar grave. As always, his hands were shoved in his pockets as he mourned for his friend. It was alright now though, his heart was hidden behind walls, chained and locked away where it could hurt no one. He wouldn't make the same mistake with Rin.

Rin.

Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath as he remembered his best friend. How long had it been, three years? He shook his head, it was better this way. This was the whole reason why he had joined ANBU, so he could stay away from Rin. He had to keep his promise to Obito, he couldn't let her die and the best way to keep her alive was for him to stay away from her. After all death lingered around him like a plague that he could not shake off no matter how hard he tried.

Images of the sweet brown haired girl came into mind before Kakashi forcefully shook them away. It was for the best, maybe she had forgotten about him by now anyway. Though he tried to ignore it a pang of sadness washed over his lonely heart at the thought of her forgetting him.

_It's for the best, It's for her sake_.

Kakashi bent down placing the fresh new roses he had bought on his way here on Obito's tombstone. He felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards as he slowly smiled down at the tombstone.

"It's been a while hasn't it Obito? Sorry I couldn't visit, I've been busy with so many missions recently that I can't even count the amount. People call me the 'Copy Ninja' now, strange right? To think that I would be able to step out from underneath my fathers shadow and build a name for myself...I wish you and Minato-sensei were here with me though," Kakashi let out a sad laugh," I could just imagine you fuming and us fighting like old times. If Sensei and Rin hadn't always broken us up. our fights may have been more than vocal," he lowered his voice, "But Minato-sensei isn't here any more, he's with you. Rin...Rin is safe. For now anyway."

Kakashi paused as he sensed some one approaching. Standing up he jumped up onto the nearest tree, frantic to hide himself. He felt slight confusion cross through him, after all he could have sworn that no one came to visit the graves around this area besides him. Most of the shinobi had died in the Third war had been long forgotten, peaceful times slowly washing away the cries of the fallen warriors.

To his surprise he could make out a girl approaching the grave, to be specific, _Obito's_ grave. Kakashi watched suspiciously as the girl set her own batch of roses onto the tomb before sitting down. From here he could not see her face, the only thing visible was her dark brown hair that went slightly past her shoulders. He couldn't make out what the girl said though even without hearing he could feel a sense of dread spreading through him.

There was only one girl that would come mourn for Obito like he would, the girl that he had been avoiding for years, the girl that's name was-

Snap.

Too focused on the girl, Kakashi had failed to notice that he had been inching forward on the already unsteady tree branch. Before he could lean back, his weight made the branch snap sending a loud noise through the clearing. The girl looked above her in surprise just in time to see the silver haired jonin crashing down on her. She let out a gasp of surprise, closing her eyes as she braced herself for the weight that was to crush her. She had pinned herself to the ground, grasping bits of grass underneath her.

The weight never came. The girl opened slowly opened one eye after another, feeling another body pressed against hers.

Kakashi had managed to throw his arms and legs forward to brace his fall so he would not land on the girl. He groaned as his hands and knees came in contact with the hard ground. He rolled off the girl, hissing slightly in pain. This was exactly why he tried to stay away from her. This was the first time he'd seen her in years and the first thing he managed to do was almost crush her.

Rin let out the breath that she had been holding as she sat up. She wondered silently why someone would even think of hiding up in a tree. She blinked, remembering the split second that she had seen the man's face.

Silver hair and mismatched wide eyes. A scar running across his left eye.

Rin's turned her head to her right, seeing that the not so stranger had sat up, rubbing his arms. As he turned his face to look at her she knew exactly who she was dealing with.

"Kakashi?!" She asked in disbelief. She watched as the silver haired teen nervously rubbed the back of his neck and she could imagine him giving her a hesitant smile under his mask.

"Rin," he said nervously," Sorry about that, really! I was visiting Obito and you came along and I didn't know who you were. I wasn't spying on you or anything! I know it may have seemed..."

Rin listened as Kakashi began to uncharacteristically blurt out things, his voice nervous. She took this time to fully take in his appearance.

He had changed quite a bit though he was still recognizable. His hair had turned slightly darker than she last remembered, taking on a much more silvery appearance than before. He didn't have his forehead protector on so the scarred transplanted eye was fully visible. Both grey and red eyes were on her as he continued to explain himself, stuttering slightly every now and then. She noticed that he was wearing his ANBU armor, his ANBU mask hanging from around his neck, the red painted wolf smiling down at the ground. He had a lean, fit muscular body, the ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder visible from where she sat.

"...I'm really sorry," Kakashi finished his rant, staring at Rin expectantly. Rin noticed with a hint of sadness that his eyes were lonely, sad, and much darker than before. Had the ANBU rumors been true, had he changed?

Kakashi stared at Rin, head spinning. What now? Now that she knew that he was in the village, there was no way that he could hide. He couldn't just leave either, the Hokage had told him that he had a mission here in Konoha, a mission that he would reveal later. A part of him was filled with uncontrollable joy while the other was panicked. He had to leave before his bad luck started to rub off on her.

He was more than surprised when the brown haired kunoichi threw herself into his arms, knocking him back down on the ground. He could feel her arms wrapped tightly around him, squeezing the hell out of him as if he were going to vanish any second. He sat up. She had buried her face in his shoulder, her body shaking slightly in his arms. Why was she shaking? Why-

_Oh_.

He felt warm tears fall onto his shoulder and before long they came more rapidly. He sat silently letting her tears drench the right side of his uniform as she held onto him tightly. He didn't know what to do, what to say. Instead he sat in silence, his head rested on her shoulder as he listened to her quiet sobs which soon turned into angry cries. He still sat silently as she pulled away, roughly pounding at his chest half heartedly.

"You idiot! You came home and didn't tell me?!" She cried angrily," Idiot, Idiot, Idiot!"

Moments later, Rin seemed to give up being angry. Instead she pulled away, wiping the tears out of her eyes. Kakashi noticed that this was quite similar to their first meeting only this time he had made Rin cry.

_He had made Rin cry_.

Kakashi bit his lip under his mask, guilt threatening to over take him before he convinced himself that avoiding her for all this time was the correct thing to do. It had kept her alive, hadn't it?

"Sorry?" he offered. For once, Kakashi who had always been a smooth talker was lost for words. Rin shook her head, sniffling as she still attempted to wipe her eyes with her sleeve.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just happy that your back," Rin told him. _Even if it's only for a little while. _

Kakashi felt touched by her kind words and couldn't help but smile a bit, a part of him reassured. _See idiot, she hasn't forgotten about you_.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three- Old Times

I do not own Naruto

* * *

"Kakashi, hold still," Rin told her silver-haired friend as she concentrated her chakra in her hands. She carefully pressed the palm of her hand against his arm, a turquoise glow surrounding the area as she began to heal the sore muscles. Kakashi couldn't help but squirm as his strained muscles were being healed, the unnatural feeling of his body being fixed quickly still something that he could not get used to.

It had turned out that his arms had taken quite a bit of damage from bracing his fall. It wasn't unusual, after all he had fallen at least ten feet, if not more. He mentally fumed, embarrassed that he had to be healed from something so simple as falling out a tree. He glanced at Rin who's face was concentrated as she continued to send chakra through her hands, mending his sore muscles. He chuckled to himself as he saw that her purple facial paint had smudged all over her face.

His little chuckle did not go unnoticed by the kunoichi. She looked up from her work, confused hazel eyes meeting his mismatched ones. She wiped the bead of sweat off her forehead furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"What's funny?" She asked innocently making Kakashi smile and shake his head before he looked away. From his ANBU pack he pulled out a blade making the kunoichi jump slightly.

"Relax Rin," he told her calmly, handing her the knife. The brown haired girl took the blade carefully as if it were the most delicate thing in the world and examined it. When she found nothing particularly special about the blade Kakashi sighed lifting his finger to point lazily at the blade's reflective nature. Rin examined the blade more carefully this time, eyes widening as she saw her reflection. She dropped the blade, hands covering her smudged cheeks in embarrassment. Kakashi smiled before shaking his head once more. He would never understand girls and their need to look good.

"How long have I looked like this?" Rin asked hesitantly, peering at the blade which had rolled onto the grass. She carefully peeled one hand off her cheek to see that the purple paint had gotten on her hands as well and had been smeered onto parts of her nose.

"For the whole time," he told her. Much to his amusement he heard Rin make some sort of a squeak before straightening up. Slowly she removed her hands from her face to pick up the borrowed blade before handing it back to him.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" Rin apologized quickly as she realized much to her horror that she had gotten some of her purple paint on the handle. Kakashi laughed, taking it back before placing it back in his pack.

"I don't mind," he assured her honestly, "It's just paint."

"Are you sure you don't mind? The ANBU.." she trailed off. She knew that the ANBU didn't appreciate anything that made their weapons stand out on the battle field, something that the enemy would easily recognize and the purple paint practically screamed _'look at me_!'.

"It's fine, really," he paused for a second before looking back at her, "It's washable though right?"

"Off of skin yes," Rin muttered, "Off of objects?...no.."

"Shit," Kakashi cursed knowing that the head ANBU would kill him if he pranced around with a blade that was purple. The traditional ANBU colors were grey, black and white, with the occasional exception of red, certainly not_ purple_. He also knew that he could not get rid of this one, the ANBU didn't supply new weapons to anyone, not even captains of squads.

"I'll get it off, I promise!" Rin tried to assure him, hazel eyes wide with guilt and worry at his expression. Was he angry? She knew that once the ANBU gave you a weapon you were stuck with it till it was absolutely necessary to get a new one. Instead of showing any signs of anger Kakashi rummaged through his ANBU pack once more, pulling out the now purple knife. He sheathed it before handing it to Rin.

"I'll hold you to your promise," He smiled , "I'll be expecting it cleaned when it's returned."

"Of course!" Rin promised putting the sheathed blade inside her bag. Kakashi watched her, pain tugging at his heart which had strayed too far beyond the walls that kept it locked away. _She'll leave you too, just like everyone else_, the voice in his head reminded him, _it's better to just leave before you get too close to her again. _He felt conflicted but as Rin turned to face him, he held his breath. Even with purple paint smeared all over her face, she smiled brightly at him, hazel eyes practically glowing with joy. She looked so innocent, so happy. In that moment his mind was made. He couldn't interfere with her happiness, he couldn't let her die like everyone eventually did when they became too close to him.

_It's for her own good. For once, don't be selfish_.

He could not stay near her. He had allowed himself to remember the days when they were best friends, back when everyone dear to him was alive, all in a moment of weakness. The only thing that he could do for her was to watch over her from afar and do everything he could to protect his village.

"I have to go," he told his friend quietly, already rising to his feet. Rin was surprised at his sudden mood swing but forced herself to smile. It wasn't anything unusual, especially for Kakashi. Even when they were younger, Kakashi always had a temper that could not be tamed. She sighed to herself. Was it something she said? Maybe he was upset about the blade after all.

She waved him a goodbye and much to her disappointment, he did not wave back.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four- Mission Impossible

I don't own Naruto

* * *

"Captain!" Kakashi closed his locker just in time to see Tenzo walk into the room. He gave him a two fingered wave before picking up two heavy boxes that laid on the floor, flaps taped firmly shut. His arms which were still slightly sore from yesterday throbbed under the weight. He gave Tenzo a grateful smile as the young ANBU rushed over to his assistance by grabbing one of the boxes.

"Thank you Tenzo," he said as he nodded towards the door. Holding it open with his foot he let the younger ANBU go through first before letting the heavy metal door slam behind them. Darkness met them, something that Kakashi had grown used to over the years. Only a single candle lit the hallway as they quietly made their way to the exit.

"Who goes there?" a porcelain mask met them as they came to the end of the hallway. Familiar red and green swirls around the eyes of the mask indicated who it was.

"Kakashi Hatake," he told the masked figure as he stepped into view, "We're just delivering these files to the Hokage."

Tenzo peeked over his shoulder before coming up behind him whilst having trouble balancing himself. Who knew that files could be so heavy?

The ANBU tilted his head, peering over at the unsteady Tenzo before turning his attention to Kakashi. He stepped aside, gesturing towards the door with one hand.

"Don't forget the masks," he reminded.

"We know, Raido," Kakashi muttered before tipping his head towards the door. Tenzo took the sign and made his way out the door with Kakashi trailing behind him.

The bright sun that greeted him was such a contrast from the dark ANBU compound that Kakashi couldn't help but wince. He set the box down for a moment taking the opportunity to slip on his own mask. The mask was a part of him by now, a piece of himself that hid him from the outer world. He could see Tenzo do the same. his unique cat mask covering his forehead protector.

Walking through the streets of Konoha with his mask on was something that Kakashi would never get used to. The looks that citizens and even shinobi gave them were filled with fear. He couldn't say he was surprised, after all the ANBU had a nasty reputation for being cold blooded killers. He closed his eyes for a second a sigh escaping his lips before he glanced over at Tenzo who seemed awfully quiet.

"Everything alright?" he asked his friend under his breath knowing that he would hear. Tenzo remained quiet for several moments to the point where Kakashi thought that he had not heard his question.

"Will you go away again?" he asked all of a sudden surprising his senpai. Kakashi knew that he was referring to his most recent mission that had taken almost a year to complete. It had been a mission in the Land of Snow and the mission had spun out of control very quickly. He had been the only survivor.

"Tenzo you know I have to, it's part of the job," he reminded him firmly.

"I know senpai," Tenzo replied in a defensive tone, "I just don't like not knowing weather or not you'll come back in one piece."

"You know that I always manage to drag my way back," Kakashi joked, supporting the weight of the box with one arm while ruffling the younger boys hair with the other. He gave him a friendly smile, "I just can't seem to die."

"Don't joke about things like that sempai!" Tenzo swat his captain's hand away, fuming," Some day you _won't_ come back."

"Such negative thoughts today Tenzo," Kakashi couldn't help but grin at his friends sudden concern," You feeling alright?"

"I'm feeling just fine senpai," Tenzo muttered flatly, clearly still feeling quite negative as they approached the Hokage's tower. As they walked up the spiral of stairs Kakashi watched Tenzo starting to lag behind much to his amusement. He stopped half way up the stairs to look back at Tenzo who was barely one fourth of the way up. He waited patiently for the younger boy to catch up and when he did he smirked under his mask.

"Need some help-?"

"No sempai," Tenzo told him firmly, " I can carry it myself."

As he finished his sentence his words were proven wrong as the box slipped out of his grasp, landing hard on the edge of the stairs. Before it could slid down the flight of stairs Kakashi stopped it with his foot, placing his box on top of it before crouching down to carry both boxes. He lifted them up with a small groan before smiling at Tenzo though knowing that the boy could not see.

"Thanks," Tenzo muttered, clearly embarrassed. He looked down at the floor before silently following his ANBU leader up the remaining flight of stairs.

By the time the two made it up, Tenzo's bad mood had been long forgotten. The young boys cheerful rambling could be heard all the way from across the hall as Kakashi set the boxes on floor. He bent over, his hands on his thighs as he panted slightly. Even a well trained ANBU warrior was no match for 20 flights of stairs. The silver haired jonin glared up at Tenzo some how knowing that the boy had a sly smile on his face.

"You dropped it on purpose didn't you?" Kakashi accused through gritted teeth. Tenzo slid off his mask and sure enough a sly grin was evident on his face. Kakashi rolled his eyes, standing up and forcefully slamming the mask back onto Tenzo's face before picking the boxes back up. Tenzo's giggles from behind him only made the silver haired teen roll his eyes once more.

Soon the familiar red Hokages door stood in front of them. Tenzo knocked on the door before standing back behind his senpai, peering over his shoulder as the door opened. Kakashi walked straight in, the smell of tea and biscuits greeting him.

"Kakashi, Tenzo, I'm assuming those are the files?" The Sandaime Hokage sat at his desk, not looking up from his paper work he was filing as he spoke.

"Yes."

"You can put them over there," the Hokage pointed a finger to the corner of the room, still not looking up. Kakashi hurried over, relieved as he put the heavy load down in its rightful place. He flexed his arms, loosening his muscles before going over to where Tenzo stood with his head bowed in respect.

"Good work, Tenzo you are dismissed. I'd like to have a word with Kashi-kun," the Hokage said finally looking up. A smile was on his old face as he used Kakashi's nickname much to his irritation. That name made him feel like a child all over again. Tenzo nodded, leaving without a word but not without glancing up at his friend who simply stared on ahead without any expression.

When Tenzo had left, the Hokage sighed, sinking deeper in his seat. He gestured for the teen to take off his mask, the jonin bowing his head in respect before carefully pulling off his delicate cover.

"You recall my orders for you to stay in Konoha till I assigned you another mission, correct?" Kakashi nodded, "Well I've found another mission for you that needs to be attended to immediently."

"Of course, I'll just go pack my things-" Kakashi started though he was cut off as the Hokage shook his head, waving his hand around.

"This mission requires you to stay in Konoha."

"In Konoha?" Kakashi asked in disbelief. Missions in the village were only assigned to newbies or rookies and he couldn't even recall the last time that he had been assigned such a standard mission.

"This mission is quite...unique. You are the only one that I trust to get the job done," The Sandaime explained choosing his words carefully as he spoke.

"What-" a cry from under the Hokage's desk caught Kakashi's attention. He raised an eyebrow, staring at the desk intently. The Hokage sighed, reaching down to grab the source of the sound, setting it onto the wood surface.

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise. It was a baby.

The baby was in a basket, body covered by a white blanket. The child gripped onto the cloth and let out another loud cry. Blond hair stuck out at all angles, whisker like lines on the child's face. Electric blue eyes met his mismatched ones as the baby squirmed around.

"W-what is he doing here?!" Kakashi asked, referring to the baby. He gestured towards the basket, eyes narrowing. He took a step back, already knowing exactly who's baby it was. After all he had been there to witness the death of the parents. The childs resemblance to its father was already starting to tug at his heart.

"This is your mission, Kakashi," The Hokage said, peering at the squirming baby," Minato's child is in need for temporary care. I know how much your sensei ment to you and I trust that you will take good care of this boy."

Kakashi was speechless. His mouth gaped open slightly as he tried to form words. His eyes never left the baby's, those eyes...they were just like his sensei's. After what seemed like hours he finally found his voice.

"Hokage-sama, with all do respect I think your making a mistake-"

"Do not worry, you won't be on this mission alone," The Hokage reassured making Kakashi's mind spin with confusion once more," You may enter."

The silver haired nins attention was drawn to the door which cracked open with a loud creak. His eyes widened, mask slipping out of his fingers and clattering to the floor. The sound caused the toddler to cry out in surprise though Kakashi barely noticed.

There stood Rin, her lengthy brown hair cascading down her shoulders, wide hazel eyes meeting his. Her mouth was gaped open slightly though she closed it quickly as she cleared her throat, a flustered look replacing her shocked expression. As he continued to stare a faint blush made it's way to her face making the Hokage chuckle in amusement.

"Kakashi, for this mission you will be working with Rin Nohara till further notice. I'm assuming you two still remember each other from Team Minato?" he asked though the answer was rather clear from the way the two shinobi stared at each other. Kakashi slowly nodded, finally pulling his gaze away from his friends and staring at the Hokage blankly.

Why did it have to be him? There were plenty of more qualified shinobi for this particular job than himself. In fact the Hokage's choice to assign him with a child baddled the silver haired min. He could understand why Rin had been chosen, she had a naturally gentle nature and adored children. He was the total opposite, impatient and rough, never good with dealing with things that required a delicate touch.

Even now he watched Rin eagerly take step forward and take the child in her arms, muttering soothing words while rocking the him back forth. The boy began to quiet down, happy gurgles beginning to escape from his small mouth. Kakashi stiffened as Rin spun to face him, an oblivious smile on her face. He was glad that Rin seemed oblivious to his inner thoughts.

"What's his name?" Rin cooed, eyes soft as she gazed down at the blond toddler who stared up at her with wide blue eyes that brought painful memories of his old sensei into mind. He raised his hand to press against the side of his head, dreadful memories of the night his teacher died threatening to send him on his knees. The Hokage smiled up at the eager girl.

"Naruto."


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five- Parenting 101

I do not own Naruto

* * *

The sound of crying was the first thing that Kakashi heard as he shifted on the coach, legs sprawled over the side and arms wrapped around his soft pillow. He waited for several more moments silently begging for the cries to come to an end as he rolled over, pressing his pillow against his ears. Only when it became evident that the child would not stop did he even dare to open his eyes. He let out a tired sigh rubbing his eyes before forcing himself off the coach. He landed on the floor with a loud thud, a groan escaping his lips as the blankets he had used fell on top of his head.

_Maybe I can just sleep right here_...

Another screech filled his house and the silver haired teen had no choice but to unsteadily stand, rubbing his head before slowly walking towards the room next door. He mumbled curses under his breath as he wobbled towards the door, turning the knob quietly. Switching the lights on he made his way towards the crib that had been provided with the blond toddler, peering over the side.

The boy was squirming in his blankets, arms and legs thrashing as he shook his head from side to side, violent spasms running through him. Kakashi listened closer, realizing that those cries were not filled with irritation, instead the emotion was fear. _He's having a nightmare_!

Kakashi quickly scooped the child into his arms, frantically looking around the room. The toddler was now awake, blue eyes filled with tears as he whimpered quietly. The silver haired jonin began to rock the baby back and forth just like Rin had done this morning. To his relief the boy began to relax in his arms, his whimpers slowly turning into quick breaths. The ANBU leader felt the toddlers little hands grip his own finger, squeezing it every once in a while.

The child looked up at him with startled, unblinking eyes as he held his finger. His grip became increasingly tight as the teen began to set the boy back into his crib. The blond let out a sharp cry, yanking on the jonin's finger as he tried to leave. The Copy Ninja's eye widened slightly before he made another attempt to free himself but to no result.

Kakashi sighed, closing his eyes before picking up the boy once more. The child let out a happy gurgle as he once again held him in his arms. Setting the child down on the chair the teen sat cross legged on the floor. The infant finally let go of his finger, bringing his small hands together and clapping in delight at the attention. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the kids enthusiasm.

After several moments the toddler began to bang his little fist against the chair, boredom clear in his eyes. Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, tilting his head to the side as he thought of what he could do to please the child. All he had done as a child was train, read scrolls and practice some extensive vocabulary. From the looks of it, this infant wanted to do none of the above.

He was ANBU captain for gods sake, not a babysitter! He bit his lip under his mask, running through several idea's in his mind, all of which included training. He shook his head, this child was only one and a half, no where near ready to practice throwing sharp objects. _Well I was already handling my first blade by that age_...

He thought back to the games that Obito used to play with children that they had seen in around the village. Every time they had finished a mission the three teammates would go into the village and once in a while they would bump into a mother and her child. Obito and Rin would drool over the baby while he would simply give the infant a glance before turning away.

Ah ha!

Kakashi placed his hands over his face, remembering one of the things that Obito would always do to each child. He silently begged that the child would not scream, something that the children would always do when Obito did it. Through his fingers he could see the child's curious and intent gaze.

"Peeka-_Sharingan_!" Kakashi let the infant see his face widening his eyes, specifically his sharingan eye. To his surprise and relief the toddler started giggling, clapping his hands together in excitement. He pointed a tiny finger at his sharingan eye, gurgling something happily. He repeated the cycle again with his hands covering his face, shouting a quiet 'Peeka-sharingan' every time. Naruto would get shocked every time, blue eyes wide with excitement.

The two of them went on this for a while until the blond boy's eyes started dropping. He let out a yawn, stretching his little limbs before grabbing onto Kakashi's finger once more though his grip was loose. The silver haired jonin yawned, carrying the toddler in his arms, eyes already closing. He some how made it to the coach before his eyes fully closed and sleep overtook him. The last thing he heard was the infants steady breath and strong heartbeat.

* * *

Rin opened her eyes slowly, light shining through the window and in her eyes making her close them once more. She clung onto her blankets and smiled, thinking about the blond child that she was in charge of. She let out a sigh and stretched, her back aching from sleeping on the floor. She stayed in bed for a few more moments before making up her mind and getting up. Her feet touched the cool hardwood floor as she padded out of her room, night cap still on.

As she walked past Kakashi's room she sighed in defeat, seeing that his bed was still made and empty. She had tried to convince him to sleep in his bed and that she would sleep on the floor but to no result. He's probably sleeping on the couch.

That was one of the things she liked about him. No matter how many years had passed or how much he had changed he still was a gentleman, holding doors, letting the lady go first etc.

She walked towards little Naruto's room, excitement filling her. She loved working with children and the fact that this was Minato sensei's child made her more determind to take care of the little bundle of joy. As she walked into the room, she held her breath. Her eyes widened and she felt as if she were about to faint.

Naruto was gone.

His crib was abandoned and there was not a single trace signaling that he had even been there in the first place. She let out a chocked cry, taking a step back. After the shock passed through her she ran down the hall, her heart racing. Where could he be? Was he alright? What had happened? Her unsteady breaths continued as she ran into the living room.

"Kakashi, Naruto's-"

The sight that greeted her warmed her heart.

Kakashi was on the couch, his eyes closed and long legs hanging from the edge of the sofa. His silver hair was ruffled, a sign of exhaustion and a rough nights sleep. His head was turned at an odd angle almost guaranteeing him a stiff awakening. That wasn't what had surprised her, after all Rin had seen Kakashi sleeping plenty of times on their long missions back in the old days.

What surprised her was little Naruto who slept peacefully in his protective arms. His arms were wrapped tight enough so that the toddler would not fall out of his arms but loose enough that the child had room to move. Little Naruto laid on his chest gripping his index finger tightly as if his life depended on it.

Rin watched as the two slept peacefully, eyes drifting back to Kakashi. For once, his usually tense face was relaxed, making him seem quite childish in a cute way. She wished that he could always be this relaxed and peaceful, she was almost 100 percent sure that he'd be happier that way.

Perhaps the Hokage knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned this mission after all.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

I do not own Naruto

* * *

Rin smiled as she entered the Hatake compound, setting the bag of groceries down by the entrance as she slipped her shoes off and set them aside neatly. The silence that filled the massive house was a contrast from the busy hospital that she worked in all day.

Picking up the groceries she padded through the hushed hallway. Her footsteps and the sound of the old hardwood floors creaking were the only noises that could be heard. As she walked into the kitchen she set her bags on the counter before turning the sink on to wash her hands. The cool water slid through her slender fingers before she turned off the water and wiped her hands on the towel that hung from the oven handle. The kunoichi opened a few cabinets in search of a pot. When she found one the teen filled the pot with water before setting it on the stove. She turned the cooker on.

Rin exited the kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself in an attempt to keep warm as a chilly breeze passed through the hallway. As she expected she found Kakashi in the living room. The silver haired jonin was slumped on the couch, long legs crossed and his copy of 'Makeout Paradise' open. He was still dressed in his sleeping cloths though she noticed that he had put his forehead protector on, pushing his hair up so it would not be in his face. She watched from the hall as the teen turned a page, his eyes still focused on the text.

"You can come in you know," he told her as he flipped to another page, making her stiffen in surprise. Had he known all this time that she was watching him? She bit her lip as she entered the room, going over to the curtains and pulling them to the side so that sunlight could seep into the room.

"Better?" she asked her friend who had finally looked up from his book to look at her.

"Thanks," he muttered quietly as sunlight met his book pages making it easier to read. He leaned his head on his arm as he stared at the words on the page though his mind had zoned off.

"What's that book about anyway?" Rin asked curiously. She assumed that it wasn't exactly the most innocent of books considering its title but she had never really paid much attention to it. Now that she thought about it, the last time she had seen that book was back when they were fifteen. The kunoichi peered over the oblivious teens shoulder to read what was on the page.

She instantly regretted it, a blush appearing on her face as she read the first sentence. By now Kakashi had snapped out of his trance and had shut the book instantly, his eyes wide as he turned his head around to look at Rin.

"How much did you read?" he asked, a light shade of red appearing on his cheeks as he put the book aside.

"Not much, I promise," she reassured him,"you um..read very..uh..interesting..things.."

Kakashi's blush became more apparent as he looked at the ground, embarrassment showing in both grey and red eyes. He pressed his lips together under his mask and he wanted nothing more than to disappear into thin air at the moment. How embarrassing it was to have a lady read the book, after all it had such..such..intimate things in it! He was surprised when Rin sat down beside him, her usual sweet smile on her face.

"I don't mind Kashi," she said smiling as she called him by his old nickname," Every one has their own book preferences and it's ok if that's what you like to read."

"Don't call me Kashi," he grumbled. He hated when people called him that, it made him feel like he was six all over again. He wasn't a little child anymore, he was nineteen and an ANBU captain. He wasn't that little chunin that people always seemed to underestimate, he was Kakashi the Copy Ninja, a title that he had earned over years of hard work. For someone to call him _Kashi_ made him feel as though he had achieved nothing over the years and had gone right back to square one.

"Sorry, I can't help it," Rin apologized though she was still smiling. Her smile melted into a look of confusion as she realized that she had momentarily forgotten about a certain someone, "Where's Naruto?"

"In his room-" he told her.

"Great! I was just about to make lunch, I bought groceries!" Rin's eyes lit up before she grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the couch. He let out a started yelp before the kunoichi dragged him into the hallway and towards the kitchen," I wonder if he can eat solids yet?"

Kakashi let out a sigh as he was pulled into the kitchen. He watched as she checked on the pot of boiling water before going over to her bags and pulling out what looked like a pack of ramen. She opened the box before sliding the thin noodles into the water. She began to pull out vegetables, pulling them out of their plastic bags and setting them on the chopping board.

"Chop," she commanded. Kakashi walked over lazily before pulling out a knife that was in its holder and began chopping. He chopped rather slowly, glancing over at Rin who had began to work on the broth. He watched as she took a spoon and scooped up some of the broth, tasting it before shaking her head and adding more ingredients. He noticed that had painted on her usual purple stripes with more accuracy than usual and for a second he suspected that she did this because of the incident that had occurred a few days ago when her paint had smudged.

_I don't know why she even wears it, she still looks beautiful without it_.

Kakashi had always thought that the brown haired kunoichi was ravishing though he'd never admit it out loud. Once he was done chopping the carrots he set them aside and walked over to Rin who was still working on the broth.

* * *

Kakashi knew something was off the moment they started eating. After a failed attempt to have Naruto eat his first solid, the two had resorted to leaving him in his room to sleep and eating without him. The first thing that was off was when Rin began to nibble at her noodles halfheartedly. The second thing was when she fidgeted in her seat, her gaze glued to the table. Even when he had pulled his mask down to eat, he got no reaction.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

"What? Nothing-" Kakashi hated when people lied to his face. He wasn't stupid, he had been trained in the ANBU and knew exactly when someone was lying. He pulled his mask up, setting his chopsticks down on the table harder than necessary making the brown haired girl flinch.

"_What's wrong_?" He repeated, settling down as he realized that he had startled Rin. He leaned back, taking a deep breath as he waited for the girl to reply. The kunoichi paused for a good minute before looking up and speaking. To his surprise he could see her eyes had began to water.

"The hospital was busy today. A group of nin that came back from a S-rank mission were severally hurt but the hospital was too packed to have one of the more experienced doctors treat them so it was up to me. There was so much blood, too much. I-It was too late for them, I-I c-couldn't save them," her voice cracked, "If only I had been better, or quicker-"

"You can't save everyone," Kakashi interrupted, his mismatched eyes narrowed," It's life, it never goes the way that you want it to. You yourself said that it was too late for those men. Even if you had the skills of Tsunade they would have died. Rin, look around you, people die all the time but it's not your fault is it? Just like it's not your fault that those men passed away. You live so you can die eventually, it was unfortunate that those men's time was sooner than later. Here's the reality, _you can't save everyone_."

Rin watched as Kakashi stood up, roughly pushing his chair in before stalking out of the room.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Author's Note- Enjoy!**

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"One more," Kakashi slurred as he banged his glass onto the bar. He was slumped on the stool, his visible eye half closed as he unsteadily took a breath and impatiently tapped his fingers on the wooden surface.

"Are you sure it's alright Hatake-san? You've already had an awful lot..." The bartender muttered as she looked down at the wasted jonin. Kakashi lifted his head to meet her gaze, his head swaying as if he could not support the weight.

"Don't be ridiculous! Just one more, one more!" He begged, his words tumbling out of his mouth so quickly that the bartender could barely understand. The waiter sighed before pouring another serving of whiskey into the silver haired mans glass. He muttered a 'thank you' before grabbing the glass tightly and chugging the contents down in a single gulp. He then placed a twenty dollar bill on the counter before sliding off the seat and wobbling towards the entrance.

At this point, the jonin's world was spinning. He had to stop once by the doorway, waving off the concern of the workers before pushing past them and into the dark night. The cold air barely bothered him as he staggered into the darkness. Even as droplets of water started to fall from the sky he did not stop.

Where am I going again?

The tipsy teen finally came to a stop as he tripped over his own feet. Down he went, tumbling around on the damp grass underneath him, arms not quick enough to brace himself in this drunken state. Droplets of rain dripped across his face as he laid motionless with his arms and legs sprawled in different angles. Normally he would have flushed with embarrassment at his outlook but at the moment he wanted nothing more than to stay on the cold, muddy ground.

"Sensei, Obito," he muttered as he began to see images of them walking across the clearing. The mirages walked up to him, kneeling down beside him as he raised his head, "What are you doing out here? Were you looking for me?"

The illusions nodded their heads 'yes' smiling down at him as they both held their hand out for him to grab. This isn't real, _This isn't real_.

_I know_, he replied to the voice in his head, _I know_.

Yet he still stretched out his hand to meet theirs, not surprised when his fingers went straight through their ghostly pale ones. He gave them a sad smile, closing his eyes. It was too good to be true, he knew it was, but he still clung onto his happy memories of his fallen teacher and friend.

"Kakashi," they called, their voices soft at first, "Kakashi."

Their voices became increasingly louder as the two voices started to mold into one. That's funny, they almost sound like Rin now..

"Kakashi!" There was no doubt that it was Rin that called his name as he began to open one tired eye after another. Though his vision was blurred from his state and the rain, he could make out a blob running towards him. The figure continued to call his name, making Kakashi want to cover his ears. Stop yelling, It's giving me a headache.

His eyes started to close again until he felt soft, petite hands grasp his own, wrapping his cold hands into her warm ones. She was bent over him now, he could see clearly, her face filled with concern and relief. Hazel eyes hypnotized him as he laid in the grass, unmoving.

"What are you doing here? Go inside, you'll catch a cold," he warned her, his words slightly slurred though he tried to speak so she would understand. The kunoichi shook her head, a laugh escaping her pink lips as she helped him sit up. His body felt like it had been battered and dragged around for too long as he unsteadily tried to make his way onto his feet. With Rin's assistance he was able to do so, walking a few unsteady steps with his weight on her small shoulders.

"How'd you find me?" He asked, trying to steady his voice so he didn't sound so damn drunk. She didn't reply for a few moments as they trudged through the muddy clearing.

"It wasn't hard. I asked Gai, he always seems to know where you are." she chuckled, momentarily stumbling under his weight before regaining her footing and continuing forward.

_Gai's just as creepy as I thought_, he scowled in his head.

"Why'd you come here? I would have found my way back eventually," he told her, glancing up at her face.

"I was worried about you, you stormed off all of a sudden," she pointed out, her hazel eyes surprisingly serious as she gazed into the silver haired teens eyes. She wrinkled her nose at the bitter smell of whisky that radiated off of him. She hated alcohol, the taste, the smell, both were awful,"Why were you so upset? Was it something I said?"

"Yes," he muttered, his eyes starting to close again. He wanted to avoid the topic of his little runaway and get drunk stunt. It didn't help that his head had started to pound from the immense amount of alcohol that he had consumed. He let out a groan, his hands slowly moving up to his head, pressing against his temples.

"Why did I make you upset?" Rin asked, still somewhat oblivious to the jonin's reasoning. _You can't save everyone_, she recalled him saying. When he had said that, perhaps he had been referring to...ah. A pang of pain filled her chest, momentarily making her unable to breath as if someone had punched her in the gut. Seeing Kakashi's worried mismatched eyes at her sudden pause, she shook herself out of her phase and continued walking.

"I couldn't save them, Obito, Sensei, My father," he admitted faster than she had expected. She assumed that it was because he was wasted, after all a sober Kakashi would not let a single word of explanation out. She let out a sigh that she had been holding in, her eyes staring at the muddy earth below them, "I couldn't do anything about them, couldn't help them, couldn't save them. That's the way that life goes Rin, you have to understand that, it's-"

"-Reality, I know," she muttered, "But the reason I wanted to be a medic nin was so I could save people, not watch them die. If I had been quicker or more skilled, those jonin may have at least had a chance."

"Shinobi are surrounded by death, if you don't want to see death then don't be one," he told her before quickly adding on an apology as he saw the kunoichi flinch,"Sorry."

"It's fine," she tried to smile at him, failing. What if he was right? Maybe she wasn't cut out for the job if she was so easily upset by death or blood? Maybe it was just not ment to be and this was a sign to turn back before things got ugly? To her surprise, Kakashi began to speak again, his voice much more sober now as they crossed into Hatake property.

"That doesn't mean you can't save people though. Yes, medic nins have to see death but they can also see life. The birth of a newborn child, the sound of the steady heartbeat of the shinobi that they save. Though they may see death, they are there to offer light in a time of darkness." he told her, his eyes clear of their previous haze. Rin blinked, shock running through her as she processed his words. _Though they may see death, they are there to offer light in a time of darkness_.

"Rin, Your a great Medic Nin," he told her honestly as they entered the house,"Don't dwell in the darkness, be the light that guides them through."

_When did Kakashi get so wise_? Rin wondered as they slipped off their muddy shoes. Perhaps during the years that they had not seen each other, he had matured. She could see it now, the growing wisdom and intelligence in his eyes. She could only imagine the things that he had had to see during his work in the ANBU. She cleared her throat, a blush making it's way to her cheeks at his flattering compliment. It was rare for Kakashi to compliment anyone, she would take his words with gratitude.

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling softly. He smiled back, making Rin nearly choke. This was the first time that she had seen Kakashi smiling without his mask on and the sight that greeted her was the cutest thing that she had ever seen. She blushed harder, looking away in hopes that he did not see.

"Go take a shower, you reek of alcohol," she changed the subject, wrinkling her nose at the mention of the drink she despised. She gave him a playful shove towards the bathroom.

"Alright, alright," he said, raising his arms in defeat as he let her push him towards the bathroom, "Although I recommend that you take on as well, mud face."

"_Mud Face_?!" she asked in horror. Pushing past him and into the bathroom she looked into the mirror and nearly fainted at the horrendous sight that reflected back at her. Her usually neat face paint was mixed with mud that had been on Kakashi's cloths when she had found him. She cringed as she continued to stare at the cave woman like girl in the mirror. When she turned around to look at Kakashi, she nearly fainted in surprise.

While she had been glued to the mirror the silver haired jonin had taken the time to take off his shirt which laid forgotten on the floor. She gawked at the teen for a few moments before she jumped in the other direction, an odd noise coming out of the back of her throat at the sight.

_I've seen Kakashi shirtless so many_ _times_, she reminded herself, _why am I acting like this now_?

_Maybe because he was thirteen back then_, she mentally face palmed. Of course he had changed, it had been five years now after all. She took a peek at the jonin's shirtless form, blinking at the firm muscles that had developed. She noticed his ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder as he brushed past her to get to the shower. He turned the water on before looking at Rin expectantly. It took her a minute to process this and when she did she was out the door in a flash.

Slamming the door shut behind her she grabbed the teens dirtied shirt, walking through the now familiar hallway and into the laundry room. She placed the shirt in the growing pile of dirty cloths placed in the laundry basket before turning away. She walked back down the hall, turning right to enter the second bathroom installed in the house. Turning the lights and sink on, she splashed cool water on her face. She stood over the sink for a few seconds before turning the sink off and wiping her face dry with a towel.

Turning the lights off she walked towards Naruto's room which was right next door, a smile on her face as she entered the dimly lit room. She found a peacefully sleeping Naruto who clung onto his sheets, mouth wide open as he let out a snore. She leaned down to kiss his forehead before exiting the room but not before wishing him a goodnight,

"Goodnight Naruto."


	9. Chapter Eight

I do not own Naruto

* * *

Kakashi hadn't expected to be woken up so early for the second time this week, greeted by that same annoying siren of a baby. He let out a groan, covering his ears with his pillow, a part of him already knowing that this would not work. Sure enough, the screeches of the toddler could still be heard and he once again, had no choice but to unsteadily rise to his feet and hobble into the hallway. It didn't help that he had a massive headache from the one too many drinks that he had consumed. The only difference from last time was the fact that he could see Rin padding through the hallway towards little Naruto's room as well. He let out a sigh, using the walls of the giant house to stabilize himself before he entered the little blonde's room.

He found Rin taking the child out of his crib, rocking him back and forth like she always did. The child continued wailing, his screams echoing through the house hold as he thrashed from side to side, arms flailing and legs kicking out in panic.

"Shhh, Naruto," Rin soothed, her hand brushing against his forehead. Her eyes widened as she looked towards a half-asleep Kakashi, "He's got a fever."

"What?" Kakashi demanded, suddenly wide awake as he walked over to the kunoichi and infant, running his hand across the toddler's forehead. Sure enough, he was burning up. The silver jonin looked at Rin with panicked eyes, "What do we do?"

"Bring me his bottle, fill it with cold milk from the fridge. It should be in the first cabinet to the left," she told him as she started to undress the young child, "And if you have any cloths made out of cotton, I'll need them. It helps the air pass through better."

"Right," Kakashi bolted down the hall, skidding to a stop as he entered the kitchen. First cabinet to the left, There! He opened the cabinet, pulling out Naruto's little orange feeder bottle before yanking open the fridge and grabbing the milk. Pouring the white liquid into the clear bottle, he twisted the lid shut before making his way to his room. Setting the bottle down he rummaged through his drawers, letting out a sound of satisfaction as he found one of his old shirts that he had kept over the years, a shirt that he had worn when he was two. Feeling the fabric between his fingers he determined that the cloth was indeed cotton. Grabbing the bottle on the way out he raced down the hallway.

"Have you got it?" Rin asked as Kakashi entered the room. He threw the shirt at her before setting down the bottle on the table that Naruto rested on. Rin caught the shirt, nodding as she felt the fabric before she began to re-dress the toddler who squirmed in protest. She then reached for the bottle, untwisting it before coaxing the infant to drink. Little Naruto momentarily stopped crying instead sucking intently at the milk. He watched as Rin held him tightly, the toddler finally letting go of the bottle and starting to fall asleep. He could see the child's eyes lids dropping shut before he went slack in her arms, the only sound being his now steady breaths. Rin set little Naruto down into his crib before gesturing for Kakashi to turn off the lights. He did as he was told, watching as the girl walked up to him, giving him a light shove out the door. He exited the room, Rin right behind him. He could hear her yawn as they made their way to the living room.

"You should sleep, I'll stay awake to see if his temperature heightens," Rin told him though from her constant yawning he knew that she would not last more than an hour. He shook his head, crossing his arms.

"No, you sleep. You've worked at the hospital all day, I'm the one that's relieved from my ANBU missions," he told her firmly. He narrowed his eyes as she stubbornly shook her head, planting herself on the couch.

"You have a hangover, you should rest or else that headache is only going to get worse," she insisted, "And you should sleep on the _bed_, not the couch. I've already told you, this is your house, you should sleep on the bed!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kakashi muttered though he couldn't help but wince slightly as the pounding in his head became worse. He let out a groan as Rin pulled him towards his room, pushing him onto his made bed. He landed on the soft mattress, his body begging him to rest as his eyes began drooping. With little resolve he looked up.

"I'll sleep if you do," he yawned. To his surprise Rin plopped down beside him, her added weight backing the mattress bounce once before firmly returning to it's original form. She was laid down facing him, her hazel eyes searching his face for a moment before she closed her eyes. He watched as she let out a deep breath before falling still.

_Goodnight Rin_.

* * *

Kakashi walked through the training field shielding his eyes as the sun shone above him. He ran a hand through his silver hair, adjusting his forehead protector so that the fabric covered his sharingan eye. It was bad enough that he still had hints of a hangover, there was no need to give himself a migraine. As he walked through the familiar grounds, the sounds of blades clashing together, explosions and cries of determination greeted him. He glanced up to see several groups of ANBU already practicing.

Today was the day that Rin had off from her duties at the hospital. Taking advantage of the situation, he had decided that it was time to train, his muscles were already itching to be strained. The last thing that he would want was for his fighting skill to deteriorate.

The group of ANBU made up of roughly five or six people paused as he padded past them. He could feel their eyes following his every movement, this wasn't unusual. Ever since he had joined the ANBU it was like this, eyes always on him, daring him to screw up. He turned around, narrowing his grey eye. The ANBU cringed under his sudden hard gaze before taking a few steps back. He smirked under his mask as he continued to walk forward, at least he hadn't lost his intimidating glare.

"Sempai!" He heard Tenzo call as he approached his squad who trained at the far end of the field. He could see a trail of blood running down Tenzo's forehead mingling with beads of sweat that poured down his face. The little brown haired boy gave him a wave before dropping his kunai and making his way towards the silver haired jonin. His opponent looked up before waving over at the ANBU captain as well.

"Tenzo, Raido!" He called giving them a wave before joining them. He noticed that Raido had a cut on the lower half of his arm, "Looks like you've been working hard in my absence."

"Yes sir." Raido panted, slumping down on the grass. He wiped the sweat off his forehead before dropping his kunai beside Tenzo's.

"Good," Kakashi told him, his hands shoved in his pockets as he scanned the clearing. From here he could see the fourth member of their squad, Genma, charging at the wooden dummies that were set out. He could see that his teammates speed had increased as he slit the necks of the wooden men with ease. As Genma paused to take a break he waved at his captain before walking over to the water bottle he had brought and chugged it down.

"What are you doing here, sempai?" Tenzo asked, drawing the jonins attention back to the boy. Tenzo had stood up along with Raido, their eyes both lit with confusion, "Aren't you supposed to be off from ANBU missions for now?"

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't be training," Kakashi replied, putting a hand on the younger ANBU's shoulder before smiling," I'll be back on missions soon anyway."

"That's good, we need our best shinobi ready to fight, from what I heard it's only a matter of time till we go to war with the Hidden Stone Village," Raido added, surprising the teen.

"What? We have a peace treaty with them, don't we?" Kakashi grit his teeth together. The last time they had gone to war with them...Obito had...He shook his head quickly to dismiss his thoughts before looking at Raido with narrowed eyes.

"They're signs that they are already preparing for war. It's just a rumor though so I'm sure there's no need to be too worried," Genma had made his way over, butting in. Kakashi sighed, closing his eyes. War again, it had only been six years since the last one! His hands in fists he grit his teeth together. He hated war, he fucking _hated_ it.

"Then we should prepare as well," he seethed through gritted teeth. He opened his eyes, peeling back the fabric that covered his sharingan eye. The word instantly became clearer, sharper. From the corner of his grey eye he could see his teammates take a step back as he marched past them, determination in his eyes. He had to become stronger before the war began, he couldn't be weak like last time. He couldn't let any one important to him die, he couldn't let _Rin_ die.

His hands moving at an astonishing speed, he weaved the familiar signs with his hands.

"Chidori!" Lightning ignited through his fingers, the sound of a thousand birds chirping filling the field. He was well aware that other ANBU teams had stopped working at the sound, all eyes on him. As energy rippled through his right hand he flexed his muscles, eyes narrowing before he starting running.

12 dummies, 12 people. He plunged his hand through the first dummy, his hand slicing though it as if it were butter. _Stronger, harder_. He increased his chakra concentration, satisfaction running through him as the lightning increased in strength to the point that the next dummy was sliced in half before his hand even made contact. He avoided the pieces of wood that came flying his way, maneuvering around them before taking down two more dummies at once. They exploded, lightning bursting through the clearing as smoke engulfed the area.

Tenzo covered his eyes, hands thrown up in front of his face in an attempt to keep the little pieces of wood from hitting him. He coughed as the smoke curled around him and shards of burning timber showered onto him,. He let out a paniced cry, narrowly avoiding the flames as he stepped back, right into Raido who grunted as he was sent stumbling backwards at the sudden extra weight.

As the smoke cleared he could see the groups of ANBU across the clearing staring into the cloud of smoke that remained. From here he could make out the pathetic excuses of 12 stumps burning.

"Sempai!" He called, watching as the remainder of smoke drifted away and the figure of his sempai came into view.

Kakashi stood silently, letting the lightning that had gathered in his hand fade away to the point where only a spark of electricity bounced around his palm. He watched with blank eyes as the lightning in his palm finally died down before looking back behind his shoulder at the wreckage he had left behind. Instead of twelve practice dummies, the sight of twelve burning stumps greeted him. He watched with narrowed eyes as an unfamiliar hooded ANBU put out the fire before turning to the jonin.

"Kakashi Hatake, the Hokage requests your presence immediately."


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine- Paths

I do not own Naruto

* * *

The dim light from the lamp post was the only thing that guided Rin as she walked through the dark night. The rustling of the plastic bag that swung by her side matched the rhythm of her footsteps. The leaves that covered the stone pathway signaled that summer was ending and the beginning of fall was only days away. Rin knew that she shouldn't have strayed from the original path she had started on, she wouldn't have had she known that it would be so dark. She had gone to the supermarket to retrieve some milk for little Naruto, the blonde toddler had finished the previous carton in just two days. It was getting late and the kunoichi could only imagine how hungry the child was. With that in mind, she had decided to take a short cut.

According to Gai, this path would het her to the Hatake Compoud twice as fast though at the moment she doubted it. No, that couldn't be right, Gai knew more about Kakashi than he knew about himself. She was positive that he would not give her false directions.

The sound of leaves crunching behind her snapped her out of her doubtful thoughts. She halted, her gaze going over her shoulder to glance behind her. In the pile of decomposing leaves laid a metal canteen, its metallic surface reflecting what little light that shone in the clearing. Slowly the kunoichi made her way over, crouching down and picking up the half empty bottle. She twisted the already loose lid open, wrinkling her nose as the bitter scent of alcohol drifted out of the container. She screwed the lid back shut, the liquid sloshing around inside the metal canteen as she lifted it from the pile, carefully flicking off the pieces of dirt and leaves that clung onto the smooth, sticky surface.

She looked back and forth, eyes scanning the area using what little light was provided. Seeing nothing, the teen came to a conclusion. By the way and angle that the canteen had fallen, it had most likely been dropped from above. Sure enough when the kunoichi raised her head she could make out a figure slumped over on the branch about ten feet above her. Though the lighting was not the best, she could make out fiery red hair and glowing green eyes which stood out in the darkness.

"Is this yours?" Rin asked the figure, holding out the canteen for the stranger to examine. She could see the shadow shift slightly before dropping down and landing unsteadily on its feet, fallen leaves scattering around at the sudden movement. The figure wobbled over, snatching the bottle out of her hands before grinning. Now that they were only inches apart, Rin could clearly see that this was a man who looked to be in his twenties, red hair reaching down to his ears, green eyes half closed and unfocused. She noticed that the stench of alcohol clung onto his cloths as he grabbed her shoulders as if to hold her in place.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing out here all _alone_?" the man asked, his speech quick and barely audible, ginger hair falling over his eyes before he lifted a hand and swatted it away impatiently. Rin carefully pried the mans grimy hands off her shoulder, a polite and hesitant smile on her face as she tried not to let any panic set in.

"You should go home, you're drunk," she suggested to the wasted man, steering away from his question. She stepped aside, giving him a polite bow before turning to leave, taking several urgent steps forward. She didn't get very far before sweaty hands grabbed at her arm, yanking her backwards into waiting arms. She yelped, attempting to break free from the mans embrace.

_Don't panic, Don't panic._

"Why don't you stay with me, keep me company?" He slurred, a sly grin making its way on his face as he caressed her cheek with his fingers. Rin flinched wanting nothing more than to slap his dirty finger off her face at the moment. As his hand drifted over her lip she opened her mouth, biting down on the mans finger. He let out a cry of pain and surprise, momentarily loosening his grasp. Taking advantage of the strangers surprise she hurled herself forward, sending all her body weight forward, forcefully removing herself from his embrace.

Rin toppled onto the ground, her body landing on the leaf covered stone pathway. She crawled around in the darkness knowing that directly running away was not an option, he'd see her. Finding the energy to stand up she hid behind the tree that the red head had previously been perched on. She was breathing hard, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she pressed her back against the rough trunk of the massive tree. She could hear the mans footsteps and drunken laughter from nearby followed by the sound of rustling leaves.

"Aww, that wasn't very nice," he pouted, "Come out, Come out!"

As she carefully peered around the tree her eyes widened in realization. The milk! She had dropped the milk! She searched the ground for her plastic bag only to find that the stranger had beat her to it, the sack already slung on his shoulder. His back was turned to her, if she was sneaky enough she could run without getting caught. Had this been a regular drunk she would easily be able to out run him but she could see his Konoha forehead protector clearly even in the dark. This was a shinobi she was dealing with, no matter how drunk the man was she could not let her guard down. She could run, she had a chance.

_But the milk! Naruto needs it!_

Making up her mind, Rin sprinted towards the man, arms already outstretched to snatch the plastic bag back. Suddenly the man turned, a grin on his face as he grabbed her outstretched arm, throwing her to the ground like a rag doll. She landed, her head hitting the hard stone surface. She raised her head, sitting up and pressing one hand on her head which had begun bleeding. She felt the hot liquid seeping through her fingers as she began to crawl backwards, the ginger stranger grinning down at her in victory.

"Found you!" he chuckled, crossing his arms as he approached the panicked shinobi.

"Leave me alone!" She whimpered, closing her eyes as she waited for the wasted shinobi to make his next move. When nothing happened confusion caused her to open her eyes. The sight before her made her eyes widen as she leaned back on her hands. The man who had stood only steps away from her was now lying on the ground, barely audible groans making their way past his lips. A figure kneeled over the man, knee firmly planted on the gingers chest.

"_Don't. Touch. Her_." Rins eyes widened even more at the sound of her saviors voice. She knew that voice, in fact it was the first voice that greeted her in the morning, the voice that soothed her during times of sadness, the same voice that she had grown to adore over the many years she had known him.

"_Kakash_i," Rin breathed in disbelief. How had he even found her? Even in this dim lighting she could see the jonin's seething face, mismatched eyes narrowing dangerously at the ginger man who laid under him, squirming in pain as the teen delivered a punch, his fist colliding with the mans jaw. To her horror, the silver haired jonin did not stop, anger radiating off of him as he kneed the stranger in the stomach before stepping away, hands in fists.

"Get up." His voice shook with fury, making the kunoichi flinch. She had never heard him like this. His usually collected composure had crumbled in an instant, his usually calm eyes now fiery and lit. When the ginger laid motionlessly on the ground, Kakashi forcefully grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up to his knees,"_ I said get up_!"

As the green eyed mans eyes slid open, the ANBU captain kneed him in the stomach once more causing the man to hunch over, the only thing keeping him up being Kakashi's tight grip on his collar. He didn't even flinch as blood splattered onto the ground, painting the leaves and parts of the path scarlet. Cold eyes gazed down on the wasted man who was now panting, bringing his hand to his mouth to wipe specks of blood off his lips.

"_You fucking piece of trash!_"

Before the man could even get a word out, Kakashi struck again. His fist came in contact with his eye before he swung it back with equal force, this time his fist connecting with the gingers nose. A sickening crack confirmed that his nose was far from ok. The teen then brought his knee up, letting go of the mans collar before sending his knee into the strangers face. The man fell backwards, his body dropping to the ground.

"Stop Kakashi! That's enough!" Rin cried, watching in horror as the silver haired ANBU stalked over to the beaten man, eyes flashing with bloodlust that frightened her. The jonin remained unresponsive, unblinking eyes staring down at the man who was sprawled pathetically on the ground. Ignoring Rin's cries, the ANBU captain grabbed the ginger by the hair, dragging him to the tree. He barely heard the mans pained screams as he shoved him against the tree, grabbing the strangers throat, fingers pressing against his windpipe.

"_I'll fucking kill you, I swear_," he growled, watching as the man began to squirm, desperately clawing at the jonin's iron grip.

"_Kakashi_!" Rin could see the man's bloodied and beaten face was starting to loose its color, his efforts to escape becoming faint before his arms finally dropped to his side. She scrambled up to her feet, horrified, "Kakashi, stop, _your killing him_!"

"Good," Kakashi retorted, his voice dangerously low as he tightened his grip on the mans throat. Any minute now, this-this _thing_ would be dead, just a little longer-

"_Let him go_!"

Rin threw her arms around him, arms wrapping him in a tight embrace as she pressed her face against his back, tears beginning to make their way down their cheeks. Hot tears slid down her face and onto the jonin's ANBU armor creating specks of dark patches on his ashen clothing. She felt him stiffen under her touch. Slowly she reached one arm out to touch his, her hand gripping his free one tightly. With her other hand she grabbed his wrist, his fingers still clamped down on the mans throat. Giving his wrist a soft squeeze, she watched as the jonin stiffly released the ginger, letting Rin guide his arm back to his side. She slid her hand down from his wrist, slipping her hand into his larger one. She watched the man double over gasping for breath as he hit the ground, his hands cupping this throat as he let out a series of coughs.

"Thank you," She whispered softly before moving to let go of him. To her surprise the silver haired teen did not let go, instead he gripped the kunoichis hand tightly as if his life depended on it.

"K-Kakashi..."She muttered as her head began to throb from falling earlier. The adrenaline rush that had kept her from fully feeling the effects of her bleeding head had now left, leaving her feeling exhausted and faint. She felt herself begin to tip to the side, the only thing keeping her up right being Kakashi. Before she could process what was happening, her vision began to blur before darkness greeted her with open arms.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I don't own Naruto

* * *

"Are you sure you can do this?" Rin asked though her attention was directed elsewhere. She shifted her weight on the mattress, bouncing her body weight up and down like a child. She immediately stopped when Kakashi complained that he couldn't read with the bed moving so much. She peered at the jonin who had been reading his book that he had 'borrowed' intently. Ever since she had woken up he had been glued to it, taking in every word and asking her several questions which she was more than happy to answer.

"Give me a minute," he told her, holding up a hand towards her while his gaze was still glued onto the book. He flipped the page, scanning it for a moment before folding the edge of the page in and sitting up. He gestured for her to move closer, slipping his gloves off and setting them carefully on the nightstand, "Alright I'm ready."

"Are you sure-"

"If I follow the instructions it'll be fine," He reassured her stubbornly before glaring at her as if to dare her to argue. She sighed, scooting over to sit next to him. With her back facing him, she waited for him to begin. She felt him press his palm against her head before hearing the soft hum of chakra being kneaded. She flinched as she felt the strange sensation of torn skin and damaged tissue being healed, the process much rougher than she was used to but she couldn't blame him, after all he was no medic nin. It was a miracle that he was even able to properly start the healing process from just reading a book, she silently thanked the fact that he had such good chakra control.

"Stop moving or else I'll screw up," Kakashi told her, reminding her that he was far from a pro at this. He glanced over at the book, moving it closer to him with his foot before removing one hand and flipping back to the page he had been on. He turned the page, carefully examining the diagrams that were drawn on before placing his hand back on the injured area and concentrating his chakra.

Rin watched on, amused that for once there was something that the prodigy struggled on. She could see the faint glow of chakra from the corner of her eye and the look on the jonin's face confirmed that this was no easy task for him. Looking closer, she could make out several scrapes and bruises forming on his bare arms, clearly not from the one sided fight with the drunk man. She swatted the teens hands away earning a scowl from him as she twisted around for a better look. She grabbed his arm, examining it carefully.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it," He muttered quickly as he pulled his arm away from her grasp.

"You've been training too hard," Rin told him disapprovingly as she looked up at him with concern. She noticed that his knuckles were slightly swollen, his palms rough from minor burns. She forcefully took his hand into hers, examining it much to his displeasure. Feeling the rough edges of his burns she concentrated her chakra, satisfied when the familiar glow of it gathered around her hand, engulfing his in the process. She lost her concentration as he jerked his hand away, a stubborn light in his eyes.

"Stop moving or I'll screw up," she quoted him. She watched as he scowled at her before shaking his head stubbornly, already getting up onto his feet, book tucked neatly in between his arm and side. She expected him to lecture her though what he said surprised her.

"Your exhausted, Rin. Get some rest," he told her softly, his voice hush. As he walked past her, he reached his hand out, ruffling her hair before walking out the door. She watched him leave, the door finally hiding him out of view. The kunoichi let out the breath that she had been holding, closing her eyes. She slid down on her back before pulling the thin blankets over herself.

* * *

Rin flinched as yet another round of thunder echoed through the house, white light flashing outside her window. She hid her head under her sheets, crawling into a ball as she waited for the thunder to strike once more. When it did she flinched once more, squeezing her eyes shut as she attempted to fall asleep.

_At this rate, I'll never get any sleep_.

Rin rolled over in the bed awaiting the next stroke of thunder. Occasions like this were rare where storms would occur, creating thunder. She had always been thankful that Konoha rarely had storms like this and even when they did, the loud, aggressive noise would only last for several minutes, perhaps an hour at max. This was the first time that a storm had continued for this long, all through the night and into the early morning.

Finally finding the courage and resolve to climb out of her bed, the kunoichi began to make her way down the hall, careful not to wake up little Naruto, if the thunder hadn't beat her to it that was. She sighed, her cheeks tinted pink as she found herself in front of a familiar room. Kakashi's room.

She bit her lip, considering her options. She could always go back to her room and stay up for the rest of the night or she could throw her pride out the window and pester her friend about her fear. As another deep rumble echoed through the house, her hand moved towards the doorknob, turning it and entering the room. She would have to swallow up her pride.

Slowly closing the door behind her she began to walk towards the bed, resolve in place. There was no need to be embarrassed, this was Kakashi after all. He was a trusted friend, a boy whom she had gone on many missions with, spent many hours with, the boy who she-

As the sound of thunder rattled through the house she hurried along, reaching the jonins bed. As she peered over at the jonins sleeping figure, she couldn't help but smile. Though his back was facing her, she could see that he held a pillow to his chest, his face pressed against the soft cushion. She could make out his narrow jawline and peaceful face as she leaned a bit closer. He looked so relaxed, so much more his age. For a moment she hesitated thinking it would be selfish to disturb the young ANBU's slumber, her hands hovering just over his shoulder as she thought on weather or not she should wake him.

Her decision was made for her when the teen rolled over to face her, cracking one steely eye open. She jumped slightly at the sudden realization that the jonin had been awake.

"Mmhhm...?" Kakashi mumbled, his senses still drowsy and filled with sleep. He blinked up at Rin who stood at the edge of the bed, fear in her eyes. Instantly the jonin sat up right, his sharingan eye open as he stared around the seemingly empty room. Sensing nothing, he closed his chakra consuming eye, peering over at Rin who had been silent this whole time, "What's wrong?"

He got his answer when a bolt of lightning rumbled through the sky, white light streaming through the window for a fraction of a second. He watched as Rin let out a startled yelp, flinching slightly and instinctively jumping into the bed beside him. He heard her yelp once more at the sudden contact between their bodies as she practically hurled herself out of the bed, her cheeks tinted red as she quickly got up.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry-"

"Your scared," he cut her off, amused. Who knew that Rin of all people would be scared of a little lightning? He watched as she shook her head quickly, not meeting his eyes, gaze glued to the ground.

"I-I'm not scared," she defended herself though she could not protest any further, after all she was a horrible liar. She fiddled with the edge of the sheets, her eyes slowly meeting his as her blush finally died down, "Can I...?"

Knowing what she wanted to say, Kakashi simply pulled the sheet down, moving over before patting the free half of the bed. He then yanked his sheets over his shoulders, his single eye following the kunoichis every movement as she hesitantly climbed into the bed before pulling the covers over herself. She then turned on her side to face Kakashi only to find that he had closed his eye, seemingly back asleep. She observed him for a second more before closing her own eyes.

Minutes passed by, the silence hanging between the two some what comfortable.

"...Kakashi?" Rin whispered, already knowing that the teen was still awake. She watched as he cracked open his eye, steely grey iris's meeting hers.

"...Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" The ANBU asked, surprise and genuine curiosity laced in his voice as his eye widened slightly at her gratitude.

"For everything." Silence lingered between the two nin as Rin finished speaking her words, the kunoichi adjusting her position so she faced the ceiling. In some ways the silence was comforting, something that was never awkward or uncomfortable when it was between the two. It was something familiar, something that put her mind at ease. A sigh finally broke their silence.

"Go to sleep, Rin."


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

I do not own Naruto

* * *

Before the sun even had a chance to rise Kakashi was already making his way to the training fields. To his displeasure the ground was muddy from the storm last night and he cringed as his shoes sunk into the brown slush soft squeaks being heard every time his foot made contact with the soil. Pushing back his discomfort he entered the drenched field, hands shoved in his pockets as he casually walked past the wooden training targets. He wouldn't be needing those, not today at least. Today, he was doing a different type of training.

As he continued strolling through the field he eventually found himself coming to a halt in front of a large boulder. The boulder brought back painful memories of the night that he had lost his beloved sensei, the night of the Nine-Tails attack. This boulder had fallen when the Nine-Tails had destroyed the cliffs surrounding the area. All that remained from the attack was this boulder, too heavy and big to be removed. Now, as he stood in front of the large mass of stone he closed his eye, taking a minute to mourn for his sensei.

_Minato-sensei_...

He shook his head- this was no time for remembering old memories, war was just around the corner and he could not let these thoughts be a burden to him. He needed to focus on protecting the village, _protecting Rin_.

When the Hokage had called him to his office yesterday it had been to discuss the matter of the approaching war. Iwagakure (Hidden Rock Village) had sent a group of nin over their aim being Konoha's never ending supply of weapons and scrolls. The ANBU had stopped the squad in time but the peace and trust between the two villages had already been broken. Very few nin knew about this security breech and the Hokage wished to keep it that way. Only the higher ranked ANBU and the council knew about this imminent war.

War. War was one of the few things that Kakashi hated, his blood boiled at the thought and mention of it. What good came out of it? Yes, there was always a winning side, a victorious moment when the winning side knew that they had won. _But for what_? _What did they gain from winning_? Land? Fortune? Nothing would replace the many lives lost, the many hearts broken. He could hear them, the cries of the soldiers who had laid their life down for the victory. Those warriors, _hero's_, all forgotten in a few years, names carved into stone with empty words and empty promises to never forget.

_Obito_...

He would never forget he promised. He would always remember Obito as a hero, _his hero_. Sure, they had never gotten along, they were like water and fire, black and white- but in the end they had finally come together, an understanding developing between the two polar opposites. _Perhaps we weren't so different after all_...

He was doing it again, he was remembering. He made a mental note to control his emotions better in the future.

Kakashi opened his eyes, his sharingan flaring to life as the world around him became clearer. He concentrated on his gifted eye, channeling his chakra into the sharingan. His vision distorted through the eye, his stance faltering slightly as the eye fed on his chakra. He grit his teeth together sending waves of concentrated chakra to the area once more. For a split second he closed his eye and when he opened it back up, the change was _remarkable_.

His already good vision had increased, even the slightest movements already foreseen. He had felt this feeling before, the shift in his eye, the sudden surge of power that surged through his veins. The last time he had felt this was when he had witnessed Obito's death.

He had no doubt about it, this was the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Kakashi gazed blankly at the boulder in front of him. He shifted into a defensive stance, willing his eye to do something, _anything_. When nothing happened he let out a huff of frustration, his Mangekyo was supposed to come with a new power, every Mangekyo Sharingan was yet nothing was happening. Perhaps he was doing it all wrong?-

There was suddenly a ripple in his vision, the world starting to spin slowly but surely. The boulder became distorted in his sight, the large chunk of stone starting to become deformed. Kakashi only faltered for a second before adjusting to the situation. After several moments of undisturbed concentration, the boulder disappeared entirely, the only remains being the little pieces of rubble that were scattered around the wet grass. For a moment the jonin smiled, his hands on his knees as he bent over, a bead of sweat running down his face. He was feeling pride, not for himself but for Obito. Obito who had died thinking that he was a loser,weak, a useless team member. Yet seeing the powers that his eye could do, he couldn't help but smile, his gaze flickering towards the sky._ See Obito? You're not weak, not at all_.

Before the teen could even process what was going on, he crumpled to the ground his eye suddenly throbbing. He closed his eye, teeth gritted together as the throbbing slowly began to turn into pounding, his skull feeling as if it were being bashed, his brain with it. He raised his hand to cover his eye feeling thick, hot blood beginning to drip from his closed lid. He let out a low hiss as the pain in his eye began to spread through his body like wildfire. Falling over on his side he brought both of his hands to cup his parasitic eye. Spasms of agony relentlessly flooded through his system like an endless tidal wave leaving him sprawled on the ground panting. He could feel his strength slowly diminishing leaving his body feeling as if it were on fire, his eye the source of the spread. He laid curled up in ball, his breaths heavy as he panted. As another spasm ran through him he let out a silent scream, his voice no where to be found as he clawed at his chest, his heart burning. He didn't dare try to open his sharingan eye already knowing that it was this was the side effect of the Mangekyo Sharingan, not to mention that because he was not an Uchiha the eye drained him of much more chakra than the average sharingan user.

His hands grasped at the grass, his eye slowly closing as the pain finally ebbed away leaving him numb. His body fell still as all feeling left him. Black dots swarmed his vision before he closed his eye, his consciousness slipping away into darkness.

* * *

Rin walked through the halls of the busy hospital her expression filled with relief and a hint of joy. She had just finished an operation, the out come a success. The day was coming to an end, her shift over for the day. She couldn't wait to go home and share the days successful events with Kakashi, the two always told each other about how their day was no matter how good or bad it was. Though Kakashi couldn't say much about his days work due to the rules stating that ANBU must not talk about their missions outside of work she still enjoyed hearing about his day with his squad.

She reached the end of the hallway before walking to the main desk. Picking up the pen that laid on the desk she began to fill her name out along with the time she was leaving. Feeling the gaze of the woman sitting behind the desk she gave her a friendly smile.

"Leaving so early, Rin-san?" The lady asked curiously knowing that Rin was usually one of the last ones to leave.

"Yeah, What about you, Shizune-san? Are you leaving anytime soon?" She asked the older woman politely.

"My shift is over in an hour," Shizune told her though she quickly changed the subject, her eyes filling with innocent curiosity, "Are you leaving early because you have plans with Hatake-san?"

Rin froze, her hand freezing in mid word, the pen slipping out of her motionless hand. She must have heard her wrong, yes that must be it. Yet she knew that Shizune had indeed asked her that, there was no doubt about it.

"Why would I have plans with Kakashi?" She tried to keep her cool as if the question hadn't phased her at all though she fiddled with the pen as she waited for an answer.

"Well aren't you and Hatake-san an item?" Shizune asked, tilting her head to the side, "You two live together don't you?"

"Me? Kakashi? T-There isn't anything going on!" Rin blurted out, her face red as she dropped the pen her hands going to cover her face. The pen hit the floor with a little clatter though Rin barely noticed. _Her and Kakashi? An item_? No, _he_ didn't like her like that. " We're just close friends!"

Before Shizune could interrogate her further the entrance doors slid open. Noise erupted from outside and before she could even process what was going on several nurses ran in pushing a stretcher.

"_CODE RED! CODE RED!_ _We need all the help we can get_! _Bring the patient to operating room 203_!" The lead nurse shouted pointing towards the far hall. A bead of sweat trailed down her face as she shouted orders, the nurses wheeling past Rin with stunning speed, too fast for her to see the patients face though slow enough to make out the droplets of blood which dripped down the stretcher bars.

"What's going on?" Rin asked one of the nurses who had stopped to take a break. The nurse was panting heavily, blood dripping off of her latex rubber gloves. Specks of blood were splattered across her white uniform. She let out another pant before replying.

"An ANBU was found unconscious on the training fields today by his team all drained of chakra. He's some how still alive but I've never seen anything like it, he didn't have any physical wounds besides bleeding from his eye. He's only a corner away from death, if his team hadn't found him he would most likely already be dead. He's in a critical condition right now, he's barely breathing."

The doors slid open once more revealing a familiar teen rushing through the doors. At the sight of the sweaty teenager Rin excused herself before walking up to the boy who looked around frantically, eyes relaxing slightly as they met hers.

"Tenzo? What brings you here?" She asked, curiosity laced in her voice. She smiled at him, she'd always liked the younger boy, he was a good friend of Kakashi's after all. The silver haired jonin always talked about him, praising him for his kindness and skill. She searched him from head to toe for injuries, confused when she found none.

"Rin-san, _where is he_?! _Where is he_?!" Tenzo asked, ignoring her question as he frantically looked around. Startled by his sudden outburst the kunoichi took a step to the side letting the teen get a full view of the busy room. The wood wielding boy let out a huff, crossing his arms and making it apparent that he did not find who he was looking for.

"Who-?" She froze in mid sentence as a new possibility ran through her mind. _No, it couldn't be_...The last time she had seen him was this morning when he had went out to train-. To train. No, it had to be a coincidence, there were plenty of other ANBU who went to train early in the morning. Though she tried to think positive her hands were already starting to shake as she gripped Tenzo's shoulders giving him a gentle but urgent shake, "Who are you looking for Tenzo?"

"_Kakashi-senpai, I'm looking for Kakashi-senpai_."

Rin let out a choked gasp, letting go of the boys shoulders as she stumbled backwards in disbelief. _No, no no_! He wasn't, he couldn't be...Rin had to take a minute to calm down using the wall as support as she processed this. Even then she let out quick breaths, her hands running through her hair, tugging at the ends as she repeated the nurses words in her head.

_An ANBU was found unconscious on the training fields today by his team all drained of chakra. He's some how still alive but I've never seen anything like it, he didn't have any physical wounds besides bleeding from his eye. He's only a corner away from death, if his team hadn't found him he would most likely already be dead. He's in a critical condition right now, he's barely breathing._

_He's only a corner away from death. Barely breathing._

_A corner away from death. _

_From death._

_**Death**._

Rin slumped against the wall, slipping down onto the floor. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were literally trying to hold herself together. She could barely breath, her heart racing, mind spinning. Her eyes were already watering and before long she could feel a single tear trail down her cheek. Not him- he couldn't be- it was impossible. She mumbled to herself, repeated the words, _'not him-he couldn't be- impossible'_.

"...Rin-san?" Tenzo's voice was what brought her back to reality, his concerned figure towering over her as he held out a hand for her to grab. She stared at it for a few moments, her vision becoming un focused as the image of the dying teen being wheeled into the emergency room filled her mind. She gripped both sides of her head, shaking it before taking a deep breath. After a good minute she took his still outstretched hand gratefully, finally finding the will to stand up though her breaths still came out heavily and her heart still feeling as if it were being squeezed to death. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

_He would not die_. _**She wouldn't let him**_.

Finding a new surge of strength she walked past Tenzo, determination firing up inside of her as she marched up to Shizune. She watched as the brunette watched her with pitiful eyes that made the kunoichi's resolve burn brighter. She was looking at her as if Kakashi was already dead, like they had just wheeled his corpse into the ER. Anger flared up inside of her at that look, her eyes burning with determination.

"Rin-san are you Ok-?" Shizune asked softly as she looked down at the information written about the new patient, already knowing who the ANBU being rushed into the Emergency room was.

"Show me the patient in 203's status, information, everything." Rin demanded holding out a hand. Shizune let out a sound of surprise at her uncharacteristic bluntness but wordlessly passed her clipboard to the kunoichi who quickly began scanning the page for the details.

_Abnormal heart rate, chakra drained, low blood pressure_...The list was almost endless. The kunoichi bit her lip, flinching at every word. Under these conditions it was a miracle that Kakashi was even breathing.

"We're not sure how the patient could loose so much chakra and not notice. Even with his sharingan there is no way that he wouldn't start feeling the effects long before going into this state." Shizune started though Rin was barely listening. It didn't matter to her at the moment, she didn't need to know right now.

"He's stubborn, he must've over trained" She replied quickly. The sharingan took an immense amount of chakra, not to mention that Kakashi was a non Uchiha, the eye was never an original part of him, therefore the eye fed on his chakra like a parasite. Though the eye was a gift, it was also a curse," We'll just have to ask him when he wakes up."

"Rin-san..." Shizune watched the girl with sad eyes. Seeing the resolve in the girls eyes, the hope was all too much for the raven haired woman to handle.

"I'll operate on the patient in 203. Send as many medics as you can, we'll need as much chakra as possible," She ordered, already starting to walk down the hall. Without hearing the older woman's reply the teen walked into the operating room, the sound of the heart monitors overly quick beating and orders being shouted greeting her. As she opened the door the medics went silent, eyeing the teary eyed kunoichi.

"Rin-san, what are you-"

"Status?"

"His eye is the problem at the moment, it's taking in all the chakra we're giving him. If he doesn't get enough chakra back, we'll never get his heart rate back to a steady pace, let alone his blood pressure!" One nurse replied, nodding towards the nin crowded around his body. Rin nodded in response before pushing past the many people and towards the jonin's body.

"Forget sending chakra to his body-send it directly to his eye!" She suggested, "If chakra is what the eye needs then we'll give it more than enough."

Looking at Kakashi's unmoving form pained Rin, her heart clenching as she saw his face which differed from when he slept. His expression was tense, pained. She couldn't bare to look at her friends pained expression so instead she kneaded her chakra into her palm, watching as faint light came to life in her hands. She carefully pressed against his bleeding eye, making sure not to add too much pressure.

"His hearts giving way!" A panicked nin yelled. Sure enough the heart monitor had gone quiet for a few moments at a time, his heart rate becoming scarcely slow. Letting the others take over her position she moved her hands onto his chest. She placed the heel of her hand in the middle of his chest, putting her other hand on top of it and interlacing her fingers. She began pumping, starting chest compressions as she desperately tried to keep his heart going.

"_Don't die on me Kakashi_!" She begged, pumping harder as the heart monitor began beeping less often. She continued the chest compressions, her own heart racing as she pounded against his chest. She abandoned her post, moving her way towards his head. She placed her fingers on his nose, pinching it before bringing her lips to his. She could see that another medic had taken her place, pumping at his chest while she attempted to revive him in the only way she could think of.

She blew in air, watching as the new puff of air entered his lungs and his chest rose for a second before falling. She continued, the whole medic team busy around her as they scrambled around to send more chakra flowing through his body. She hadn't realized it before but drops of tears were spilling over, making their way down her face and onto his. She let out a sob, finally drawing away. She let out a pant, leaning over his form. She closed her eyes feeling her tears trailing down her face, dripping off her chin.

**_"KAKASHI!"_**

* * *

**_AUTHORS NOTE:_**

**_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! To clarify some things_**

**_1. The reason why Kakashi felt the effects of the Mangekyo was because in this story, it was his first time using it. For those who read the manga or watch the anime you'd know that the first time we saw Kakashi use Kamui, he had to be hospitalized for a week. I'm assuming that that was not his first time using it, so I imagine that the effects were even more dramatic when he first uses it, not to mention that in this fanfic he's currently a teen therefore he has a lot less stamina/chakra. _**

**_Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed! More chapters on their way!:) _**

**_UPDATE: I noticed I got literally no comments on this chapter. With almost little to no motivation, I've decided not to update until I get a few comments. _**


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

I don't own Naruto

* * *

_Kakashi listened to the sound of rain hitting the glass windows as the storm raged outside his house. He let out a sigh, tilting his head to look out the window as the pitter patter of the rain continued. The boy watched the droplets slide down the transparent surface, the beads leaving their mark as they reached the bottom of the window leaving a translucent trail behind them._

_**Tears, they look like tears**._

_They did indeed resemble tears, just like the child had observed. They streaked down the windows one at a time, all meeting at the end of their journey, their destination at the bottom of the window. The boy slid out of bed, carefully making his bed before padding over to the window to get a better look. The silver haired child stood on his tip toes, grabbing the edges of the window sill as he struggled to get a see. He gave up, glancing around the room, letting out an approving grunt as he found what he was looking for._

_Kakashi made his way towards his closet, pushing open the door and dragging out his step stool. He was quite short for his age, the step stool was something that his father had purchased for him to help him feel bigger, taller. He dragged the plastic stool behind him, placing it by the window. Once the stool was in place he climbed aboard, standing up on it. To his satisfaction he could now see through the window and he pressed his face against it, the glass cool against his cheeks._

_Only when he heard footsteps coming from the hall did he pull away, scrambling off and into his bed. The bed creaked in protest against his weight though the Hatake was already hiding under the covers, bits of silver hair poking out from the top of the sheets. He closed his eyes, listening as the door opened, the sound of the knob turning giving it away along with the nearly silent creak of the door._

_Sakumo Hatake's had realized that his son was awake long before he had opened the door though his suspicions were confirmed when he spotted the little Hatake's pearly white step stool set right in front of the window. He could hear Kakashi's steady breathing as he walked past his bed and towards the window, picking up the plastic booster and setting it aside. He glanced over at the bed where he could make out Kakashi's head poking out through the covers. He let out a chuckle as the boy, panicked that his father had figured out that he had stayed up past his bed time, pulled the covers back over his head once more._

_"Go to sleep, Kakashi. Tomorrows the day for your Academy entrance exam, get some sleep," With that the older Hatake left, softly shutting the door behind him. He let out a huff as he heard the sound of the stool being dragged, presumably back to the window. He had always known that his son was stubborn, he couldn't help it. The single parent shook his head, knowing that he wouldn't be able to convince his son to go to sleep once his resolve was made._

* * *

Kakashi peered out the window, thoughts of the past once again clouding his mind. The pitter patter of the rain hitting the clear window was in sync with the heart monitor beating by his bedside, the steady rhythm of each sound prominent. His eyes drifted down to his arm which attached him to the machine, the IV in his arm visible. He sighed, tilting his head back towards the window.

_They look like tears_.

Just like that time when he was a kid, the trail left behind by the endless rain did in fact resemble tears. The ANBU could hear the howls of the wind blowing against the window, the quiet tapping of a tree branch which was constantly pressed against the glass joining it. Footsteps from the hallway caused him to close his eyes though unlike when he was a child he did not try to hide under the sheets, instead pulling it over his collar bone and leaving his face exposed, poker face on as he pretended to sleep. He could hear the door slide open before being closed and the click of shoes against the marble floor as someone approached his bed. The sound of something-presumably a chair-being dragged to his bedside replaced it before the soft, momentary squeak of someone sitting down on an old chair could be heard. The jonin remained impassive, glad that his mask had been pulled back up the lower half of his face.

"Kakashi..." Kakashi instantly relaxed, recognizing the wielder of the voice that spoke his name. He cracked open his eye, peering up at his visitor.

"Rin," Rin jumped slightly, her eyes widening and a small gasp escaping her lips. The kunoichi quickly gained her composure, taking the teens hand into hers, bottom lip already starting to quiver and before she knew it, tears of relief and anger began to trail down her face much like the rain trailing down the glass outside the window. Kakashi blinked in surprise, watching as the tears slid off her chin before dripping onto his hospital covers. His surprise only increased when she let go of his hand practically flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around him.

"You...need to stop...crying over me," Kakashi muttered softly, the kunoichi's grip on him making it hard to speak properly.

"You need to stop making me cry," Rin replied though a smile played at her lips. He was ok, he was alive and well. She couldn't even begin to describle the relief that she felt as she hugged him. After a good minute, the relief wore off, replaced with the anger that she had been suppressing. She finally pulled away, anger filling her gaze as she crossed her arms.

"_What the hell were you thinking?! I thought you knew your limits, I thought I told you not to over train_!" She fumed, making the silver haired teen shrink back slightly. He'd never really heard Rin yell, not like this anyway.

"I was testing out something," Kakashi defended himself half-heartedly.

"Testing out something?" Rin's anger quickly subsided, replaced with genuine curiosity and confusion as she tilted her head slightly. What could he possibly be testing out? Her eyes widened as she watched the teen lift a hand to his scarred eye, carefully beginning to remove the linen bandages that covered it. She grabbed his arm, preventing him from fully unwrapping it, "What are you doing?!"

"Just watch," Kakashi removed her hand, placing it back on her lap before fully unwrapping the band, the bandages falling onto his lap. He placed the white cloth on the bedside table, the ends hanging off the edge. Seeing Rin's worried gaze he smiled at her reassuringly, "Relax Rin."

Ignoring Rin's panicked expression he slowly opened his left eye. He winced, reminded of the pain that came with opening the cursed eye as it began to tug at his chakra reserves. Mentally calculating the chakra that he had at the moment he came to a conclusion that he could conjure up the mangekyo, even just for a second. Repeating what he had done before, the jonin concentrated his chakra in his eye. Slowly but surely, the eye began to change, the three tomoe spinning before molding into the pinwheel shape of his mangekyo sharingan. As the eye strained his chakra he blinked and when he opened his eyes once more, the sharingan was back to normal, the three tomoe in their usual place.

From the look of wonder that Rin gave him, he knew that she had seen it.

"Kakashi," she breathed in disbelief, "You have..."

"It awakened when Obito died," He replied softly, letting the medic nin grab the linen bandage and begin to wrap it back around his head. He felt the soft fabric cover his scarred eye, her warm hands pressing against his cheek for a second as she carefully tightened the bandage so it would stay in place. Kakashi took the silence to prepare himself for the questions that were most likely heading his way. To his surprise, Rin did not ask anything.

"Don't use whatever jutsu you used that got you here. Promise me," She said quietly, gripping his arm.

"I...promise," Kakashi hesitated. Though the unnamed jutsu stole much of chakra, it was powerful. Who knew when it would come in handy, surely he'd need to use it again though he did not admit it out loud, "-I'll try not to use it."

"...Can you promise me another thing?..." Rin asked, her voice barely audible as she hesitantly voiced her request, "Promise me that you won't leave me?"

This time, Kakashi was able to answer genuinely.

"I promise."


End file.
